Hair dryers having a pistol grip design are generally known in the art. Such hair dryers generally include one or more switches for turning the hair dryer ON and OFF, adjusting the speed of the hair dryer motor and/or adjusting the heat output by the hair dryer. These switches are generally positioned on the handle or grip portion of the hair dryer in a manner which is convenient for the user and which allows ease of moving the switch.
Receptacles, holders or other similar mounting assemblies which attach or mount to a wall or other generally planar surface for receiving and storing a hair dryer therein are also generally known in the art. For example, it is often desirable for the user to store a hair dryer in a wall-mounted receptacle when the hair dryer is not in use. Such mounting assemblies may take the form of a simple cradle for resting the hair dryer thereon, or may be a larger surface mounted unit which supplies and regulates power to the hair dryer in addition to providing a place for hair dryer storage. With both types of mounting assemblies, it is desirable to ensure that the hair dryer is not received and stored in the receptacle while the hair dryer is still ON. Thus, hair dryer mounting assemblies which are generally known in the art generally include a mechanism to turn the hair dryer off prior to or upon insertion into the mounting assembly. For example, in mounting assemblies where the switch for the hair dryer is located on the mounting assembly itself, the mounting assembly may include a switch or other mechanism such that the power to the hair dryer is automatically turned OFF when the hair dryer is inserted into the receptacle and ON when the hair dryer is removed for use. Similarly, in designs where the switch for the hair dryer is located on the grip or another portion of the hair dryer, the mounting assembly may be designed such that the mounting assembly causes the switch to move to an OFF position upon insertion of the hair dryer into the receptacle. In both of these types of designs, however, the hair dryer is still energized during or even after insertion into the mounting assembly. Thus, should the mechanism which is designed to de-energize the hair dryer fail, or should the user manually disable the above-described mechanism, the hair dryer would then be stored in the receptacle while still energized, leading to an unsafe and hazardous condition. Accordingly, there exists a need for a hair dryer which is ensured to be OFF or de-energized prior to insertion into the mounting assembly.